Noted Sportswriter Offers "Eight World Cups: My Journey Through the Beauty and Dark Side of Soccer"

As soccer fans --- whoops, make that "football fans" --- everywhere will tell you, the fun gets underway tomorrow. Yes, it's finally upon us: The World Cup. On this edition of ST, we speak with George Vecsey, a contributing sports columnist for The New York Times, about his newly published and widely acclaimed book, "Eight World Cups: My Journey Through the Beauty and Dark Side of Soccer." Vecsey tells us about how he himself first got interested in the game, about which of the various World Cups he's attended is his favorite, about why England always, always seems to blow it just when things are looking good for them, and about who he thinks might win it all this time around. As was noted of Vecsey's book by a critic for BookPage: "Action-packed reportage.... One of soccer's earliest advocates in this country, Vecsey writes with expertise and flair about the otherworldly plays, volatile personalities, and sticky politics that make the game so fascinating.... Vecsey's delight in soccer culture is palpable, and he makes his audience --- even the reader who isn't smitten with the sport --- care, too." And moreover, from The International Soccer Network: "George Vecsey gets it.... [His book] provides a freshness that many other titles are lacking, something that both casual and hardcore fans [will] enjoy.... Consumers will certainly have a lot to choose from this summer when it comes to titles related to the World Cup, but 'Eight World Cups'... has to be #1 on everyone's list. Everyone will get something out of this one."